Holiness In the New Covenant

What is Holiness? (And Why It’s Not About What You "Do")

What is holiness? I know many pulpit preachers equate holiness to a life of not "committing" sins—and they usually have a ready list of sins to prove their point. But really, does holiness (which essentially means being "set-apart") have anything to do with the things we... ahem, "do"? Can one become holy by simply doing good works? Is holiness equal to sinless-ness?

No wonder people—especially young people—are left in total confusion as to what constitutes holiness. After all, the scripture clearly says:

"There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10)

"All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6)

Who is holy, then?

There is an impression given out by a certain section of people in church gatherings who sing "Holy, holy, holy" with a religious fervor that borders on a Pharisaic, "Holier than Thou" attitude (Isaiah 65:5). They look down on the so-called laity with disdain, thundering with emotion: "Thus says the LORD God: 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" Their message? You have to do something more to become holy.

But it does not take a great revelation to see that God is Holy. Anything that has to do with holiness must start from God Himself. In fact, not even the seraphim—the four living creatures who cry out day and night without ceasing, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty"—are counted as holy, even though they are doubtless sinless!

The Six Pillars of True Holiness

Let me show you what is given to us—those who believe in Jesus Christ under the New Covenant. It is a gift more precious than gold, and a status the angels can only dream about. Hebrews Chapter 1 compares the Son with the angels of heaven, concluding that the Son is greater. Because of Him, our holiness is secured in six ways:

1. The Caller is Holy

"...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" — 1 Peter 1:15-16

If your conduct is not founded on the Caller and His calling, all your "good works" amount to nothing. But if it is founded in Him, then our conduct is holy, too.

2. The Calling is Holy

"...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." — 2 Timothy 1:9

It is clearly not of our works, but of His purpose and grace.

3. The Called are Holy

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people..." — 1 Peter 2:9

4. The Cost is Holy (and so is the purchase)

"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." — Hebrews 10:10

5. The Cause is Holy (and so is the effect)

"For if the first-fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches." — Romans 11:16

Jesus has become the first-fruit, and He is holy. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. Therefore, we, the branches, are holy.

6. The Community of Holy Brethren

"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus." — Hebrews 3:1

Fulfilling the Mandate

That still leaves us with a question: How do we fulfill the mandate of God's calling to "Be holy, for I am holy"? The answer is given by Peter himself, just a few verses earlier:

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 1:13

The more you depend on His grace—fully depending on it—the more you will have a revelation of who Jesus is and who we are in Him: holy, precious, and beloved.

This is the final straw that breaks our mind-blocks about holiness. If God started it, and God is in the process of completing it, who are we to judge the believers in the congregation? Haven't they all passed from condemnation into new life? Why does the church continue preaching "Repent, Repent, and Repent" to believers, when we should be preaching, "You have been made holy by the work of Jesus Christ!"?

What God Has Cleansed

It requires a real revelation to look at the brother or sister sitting next to us in the church pews and say to ourselves, "Ah! That is my dear, holy brother!"

Peter had this revelation right at the beginning of his ministry. As a Jew, he was unsure about preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, whom he considered unclean and "common." But God set him straight:

"And a voice spoke to him again the second time, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.'" — Acts 10:15

That is a warning to us when we are quick to judge others—especially other believers! What God has cleansed, we must not call common. Peter held on to this revelation and boldly declared that we are a chosen generation and a holy nation.

How wonderful! How marvelous! And my song shall ever be...

Salut! Holy brother.

Hello, Holy sister.

Praise Jesus.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" — 1 John 3:1

The Unnamed Relative: Why the Law Can Never Redeem You

Here is the enhanced version of your post. I applied the formatting checklist: using blockquotes for the scriptures, breaking the text into readable sections with clear subheadings, and using bold text instead of all-caps to emphasize your powerful points about the Law and Grace.

"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." — Romans 3:19-20

Jesus in the Center

As we study the Old Testament and divide it into two main portions—the Law and the Prophets—we find three books sandwiched between them: Judges, Joshua, and Ruth.

Now, we know that Joshua in Hebrew means "God is Salvation"—the exact same meaning as Jesus in Greek. So we see Jesus perfectly in the center of even the Old Testament! Just as He is the center of all creation, and the center of time itself, dividing B.C. from A.D. (Anno Domini—Years of Grace... chapter over, close the book! 😊 But we will come back to that later).

On the side of the Law is the book of Judges. If you take Joshua to be the central book of the Old Testament, it shows us a profound truth: if we try to come to Jesus through the Law, we will enter into Judgement. As Paul wrote, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16).

The Foreigner and the Closer Relative

But thank God, you can approach the heavenly Joshua from the other side—through what the Prophets foretold, and through the beautiful book of Ruth.

Ruth was a Moabite—a foreigner, a Gentile. She was disqualified in every way according to the Law of Moses. But by coming back to the place of bread (Bethlehem literally means "house of bread") along with Naomi, Ruth finds the Kinsman-Redeemer who is willing to redeem and marry her!

But hark! There is a problem. There is a still closer relative who must be consulted first (Ruth 3:12) to see if he can perform the dutiful redemption. Will he be able to perform the duty of a close relative? Can he redeem her and take her?

Who does this unnamed close relative typify?

My friends, it is the Law.

"I Cannot Redeem"

The Law demands perfection. It calls for excellence in performance, tolerates no failures, and is quick to judge every error. The Law says, "Do this, don't do that!" And when it comes to true redemption, do you want to know what this close relative says?

"I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance." — Ruth 4:6

The Law takes off its sandals, saying, "I cannot walk that path of redemption for you." The Law boasts of not missing even the dots and crosses of the letter, yet it is utterly unable to justify even one person who tries to keep it. The Law shows how wrong you are, with all the right reasons, but it is entirely unable to make the wrong right!

It subjects everyone under it to a life of bondage—bringing up the Ishmael generation and the old covenant on Mount Sinai, while persecuting the children of promise (the Isaac generation) who hold the promises of the new and everlasting covenant on Mount Zion (Galatians 4:24-28).

Grace Finds Us

Thank God for grace. Grace that is greater than all my sin. Grace that pardons and cleanses within. Grace that pours until waters flow in deserts, and the scorching heat of summer turns to a springtime glow.

There is a true Kinsman-Redeemer: Jesus, God's own Son. The precious Lamb of God, the Messiah, slain for sinners. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth and married her—turning a barren, foreign widow into the great-grandmother of Israel's sweet psalmist, King David—Jesus redeems us.

How do we find grace? Or does grace find us? It is a bit like asking, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Yes, grace found me. And yes, I found grace.

"So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free." — Galatians 4:31

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a friend!

Stay blessed in Jesus. Amen.

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother - JESUS MESSIAH.

Christ the Rock

As I read Exodus 12:13, I understand that God passes by us and yet we are free from His righteous JUDGMENT (that would have otherwise killed us because of sin), if ONLY He sees the blood of the Lamb on the door-post. What a picture of safety and security in the life of the people Israel, as one by one of their Egyptian masters faced one of their most terrible nights when all their first-born (even first-born animals) lay dead.

There was another first-born bearing the iniquity for all the people of Israel in the symbolic blood of the Lamb - the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. And none of the children of Israel perished.

In the old covenant, the Egyptians had no choice to believe in the blood of the Lamb. But now, in the New Covenant, EVERYONE who believes in JESUS are saved from the righteous judgment of God with regard to their sins. Yes, Everyone who BELIEVES. This is the gospel of salvation, where you don't need to go up for a penance in the forest, or take a dip in some river or compensate with "good" works for the sins committed - because all these CANNOT wash away your sins. Simply believe in JESUS, and His finished work on the cross will take care of your rest (pun intended).

When we compare Jer. 9:24 and 1 Cor. 1:30, 31 we see the picture of God and Christ clearly.

"But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness (GRACE), JUDGMENT, and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the earth, for in these I delight," says the LORD. - Jer. 9:24

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." - 1 Cor. 1:30, 31

If we compare these two verses and strike out the common "righteousness" what is left is GRACE - that can be equated to sanctification and redemption in Jesus Christ. Now what is left of the verse in Jeremiah is only JUDGMENT - which has DISAPPEARED under the New for those "...in Christ Jesus".

Yes, sister.

Those who are in Christ Jesus is SAVED from the righteous JUDGMENT of God on account of sins. The blood of the Lamb is on the door-posts ,,, and death (wages of sin) has no power to penetrate through.

That is why Moses had to placed in the cleft of the Rock, before God could pass by Him. (Exodus 33: 22, 23). THAT is a picture of Jesus - the Rock of Ages cleft for Moses. Else, Moses would have died the moment God (and His judgment) passed by him. As it is written, "...For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." - 1 Cor. 10: 4

Hallelujah! What a Saviour. Hallelujah, what a friend!

For those in Christ... these are some of the benefits (and I particularly like the word "therefore" (that's for meditation some other day)):

1. Now, therefore there is no condemnation... (Rom. 8:1)
2. Therefore, ... he is a NEW CREATION. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. (2 Cor. 5:17)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the DOUBLE cure -
Saved from WRATH and make me PURE.

You are saved from God's wrath (judgment) because YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.

Amen.

License to Boast

Jer. 9:23-24

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.

Are you the type who boasts? And people preachers / pleasers would have turned up their noses at you and sneer "That's a proud man - that's what he is!"

But, if there is one thing a man is inclined to be, it is to be boastful... about something he is, or something he has. Somehow time and again, more often than not, this nature of boasting wells up within us. If you are one of those struggling with this nature, here is some 'good' news for you - actually you can and you may, or should I dare say, you should BOAST.

Yes, God Himself gives you a license to boast about this: LET HIM BOAST...that you he knows Me and understands Me. (Not know about Him, but know Him, mind you!)

Paul quotes this in his letter to Corinthians, so you can be sure that this is really New Covenant stuff too.

'But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." [1 Cor. 1: 30, 31]

What a blessed state, to be boastful and without guilt... boast in the LORD.

But one other thing I notice is that, as Paul quotes from the Old, there is one glaring omission in the New Covenant of the attributes of the LORD- that of judgement.

What?

Yes, brother.

God's judgment is taken away in Jesus Christ, who became for US (who believe) wisdom from God- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Hallelujah!

Jonah and Noah

Jonah: Hi, Noah. What are ya doing there?

Noah: Getting some gopher… wood for completion of the ark I’m building. And you?

Jonah: Ark, boat, ship… I don’t even want to hear anything about it. (Says to himself: You will never find out how I’ve been thrown out of one of those). And what is the ark for?

Noah: I guess it’s for those who wants to come in when the flood comes. Never seen the flood come yet, but this is what God told me. You look kind of messy, where have you been? Would you like to come into the ark, too?

Jonah: Ugh… I’m all right. Just some jelly… I mean fish belly and stuff. (Good, he doesn’t know anything about me.) [Chuckles] I’ve got some job to do… yeah, some preaching! (Muttering to himself "To these filthy Ninevites")

Noah: Preaching? I like that job too. I do it a bit too whenever I find time.

Jonah: Really? I didn’t know that. What are you preaching on?

Noah: Oh, righteousness, of course (2 Peter 2:5). I invite everyone…that whoever wants to come in to the ark may come in before the flood comes. And you, what are you preaching on and for how long?

Jonah: Oh, about destruction and judgment these past forty days. So, how many have come into the ark?

Noah: (sadly) No one yet, besides my family. These 100 years I’ve been doing this, and I don’t know why no one would believe and be saved. How I wish they are saved. (sighs) What about you? Any results?

Jonah: (sadly) Drat. Oh, every one of them have turned. From the king to the pauper. Everyone. How I wish they were destroyed. I am waiting to see the end of this wicked nation and God is being merciful.

Noah: Hey, hold on. No one can be that bad they cannot be saved. Shouldn’t you be glad that God is indeed gracious. He saves the wretched sinner as well as the pious preacher!

Jonah: But see here, I am good. I want my people to prosper. Why should I care about my enemies? This is why I ran away, took a ship to Tarshish and here now… all because of that wretched storm… and fish… and three days and three nights… and the prayer! O and now this hot sun… and the wretched insect…

Jesus: Hey Jonah! Here’s the shade you are looking for. The cross… This is what Noah is talking about. This is the ark where God’s judgment fell on me… The blood that is shed is the forever sacrifice that protects those inside the ark. Just as Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD (Gen 6: 8), you too can. Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15: 6, Rom. 4: 3, Gal. 3: 6, James 2: 23), you can be righteous, too. Do you believe Me?

Jonah: *Speechless*

Noah: Hey, Jonah! Don't you know that you can have the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, because all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. There is none righteous, no not one. And no one can be saved by their own righteousness. They have to come into the ark - the CROSS of Jesus.

Jesus: I have lived, I have died your death and now behold I am alive forevermore!
 

Noah: Would you come into the ark? It is FINISHED!

Jonah nods, and goes with Noah.

Now my question: Where are the Noahs today?
 

"And as it was in the in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:" - Luke 17:26.

Jesus second coming is near. We hear this almost everyday in Christian circles somewhere. But, really? Show me the Noahs first; aren't we more familiar with Jonahs in the pulpit?

But show me the Noahs – those who preach righteousness (by faith) in Jesus and the finished work (ark) on the cross.

Yes? Then I know, Jesus is coming.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Righteousness Reasoning (Part 4)

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

Now as he (Paul) reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."

How convenient for many, that they think they will think about it some other time, when someone reasons with them about the gift of righteousness, by which one may enter the ark of safety, away from the just judgment of God."Just like Noah did with his household finding refuge and safety in THE ARK, when the rains of God's judgment fell on all the earth.

Again, it is written thus:

"Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."- Exo. 12:13

And for so long, I was taught and sang that the blood of Jesus protects me from the devil! That the devil can do me no harm! How grossly wrong!!

The TRUTH is that the blood of Jesus shields us from God's holy and righteous judgment. Yes, He passes over us. Why? Because the substitute lamb-the sacrificial Lamb Jesus, has borne the brunt of judgment. The blood is shed, the death is done, the ransom is paid. Now in place of God's anger is His abundant grace and His gift of righteousness, freely extended to those of faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood. Forever.

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter..." - Isaiah 53:6-7

Egypt is that land of bondage where the LORD passed over Israel. Egypt is synonymous with LAW and Mount Sinai (Gal. 4:24). But the promised land is the land flowing with milk and honey - a place of freedom and rest under God's GRACE (Mount Zion and the Jerusalem above).

"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise." "So then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free."- Gal. 4:28, 31

Hallelujah! We are set free! Liberty!

Righteousness Reasoning (Part 3)

"And as it was in the in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:" - Luke 17:26.

I suddenly remembered this verse, as I was meditating on what Noah would have done all those years, as he patiently prepared the ark, and went about preaching righteousness (2 Pet 2:5). The ark is now prepared - which is the cross of Jesus Christ. All who believe in Him would be saved.... All these thoughts passed through my mind, when I heard the Lord speaking to me: "So, how will the days of the Son of Man be?"

I was ready with an answer. I must have gone through these verses a hundred times since Sunday School. I started, "They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage and ..." when I sensed the Lord looking at me with a smile. I paused and looked at Him; surely I am not wrong... these are written in the following verses for all to see. What is it you are smiling about, Lord? And I heard Him say with that same quizzical smile, "Son, aren't you missing something?"

And suddenly it hit me. How could I have MISSED THAT!

It reminded me of a story, where a Biker on his motor-bike would cross an international border with a huge sack of sand tied to the pillion seat. And every time, the soldier would check the sack and find nothing but sand, and would allow the Biker to pass. Finally frustrated, one day the soldier would ask, "What are you smuggling anyway? I know you are!"
To which the Biker smiles and says, "I don't mind telling you, since this is my last consignment; all these months I was just smuggling the bike!"

What! How obvious once you know it. Yes, this is how we miss the obvious part when we read Luke 17:26. This was the reason the Lord had a quizzical smile as He looked at me.

The coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah. And in the days of Noah, THERE WAS A PERSON CALLED NOAH. This is the obvious conclusion.

Where are the "Noahs" today? Where are they who does what Noah was doing - preaching righteousness. The ark is already prepared in the cross of Jesus Christ. But where are the RIGHTEOUSNESS PREACHERS?

When you see the church and preachers preach on the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 5:17), then you know that the days have come for the Son of Man to return. Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

Noah found grace (incredibly the first occurrence of the word GRACE in the Scriptures) in the sight of the Lord. And he became the HEIR of RIGHTEOUSNESS according to faith. As it is written,

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of righteousness WHICH IS ACCORDING TO FAITH" - Heb. 11:7

Again, What does the Scriptures say, "Abraham believed God and IT was accounted to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Rom. 4:3 and Gen. 15:6)

Don't miss out on the obvious. Know what to preach - the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God. Would you like to see Jesus' return? REALLY? Start to preach RIGHTEOUSNESS.

RIGHTEOUSNESS of GOD.
RECEIVED as a GIFT. In
RESPONSE to FAITH.
RANSOM paid by JESUS
REVEALED  through His Spirit.

Believers become heir of RIGHTEOUSNESS.